Smarting from a 35-5 reverse against Ulster, the URC’s defending champions, the DHL Stormers, tore into their coastal rivals, the Sharks, from the very first minute. Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies’ opening try was the first of six touchdowns in a 46-19 win in hot and humid conditions at Kings Park in Durban.

The DHL @THESTORMERS break their opponents defence and score early! 😳#SHAvSTO | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/tkAJwIRfgB

— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 4, 2023

The result saw the Stormers, playing their rescheduled first-round match against the Sharks, further consolidate their place on top of the South African shield. They are now 10 points clear of the Vodacom Bulls, with both teams having played 13 matches.

The Stormers and Sharks went into yesterday’s derby on the back of vastly different results on tour, with the Stormers enduring a difficult loss to Ulster in which they had three players injured, while the Sharks were back at home after a win in Edinburgh.

However, as defensively good as the Sharks were in the Scottish capital, they were the complete reverse at home as the Stormers, boosted by the return of a number of regulars, cut swathe through the hosts.

This was perfectly illustrated when former Sharks lock Ruben van Heerden marked his first start in the blue jersey by running over opposite number Hyron Andrews to grab his first try for the Stormers.

The Stormers were powerful up front, as prop duo Neethling Fouche and Brok Harris got the better of Ntuthuko Mchunu and Carlu Sadie. That momentum continued even when Fouche and Harris were substituted early in the second half for Sazi Sandi and Ali Vermaak.

Making the result even more impressive was that the returning Manie Libbok had one of his shakier performances for the Stormers. The flyhalf misplaced multiple kicks out of hand and at goal to go with a knock-on when the tryline was at his mercy, but he still finished the game with a haul of 19 points and the man of the match award.

It took 36 minutes for the Sharks to start playing and when they did up the intensity of their play, Gerbrant Grobler grabbed the first of his two tries to give the hosts something to hold onto, as they went into the break trailing by 17 points.

As they did in the first half, the Stormers flew out of the blocks in the second as Seabelo Senatla grabbed a try on his return from injury. The winger then set up Suleiman Hartzenberg for a brilliant counter-attack that started with the Sharks on attack in the 22.

⛽️ This Tank is full of gas. #SHAvSTO #iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/S9EjLzoy8O

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) February 4, 2023

While the Sharks grabbed a couple of tries in the final quarter, by that stage the result was beyond doubt and Libbok added salt in the wounds by stepping up to slot a late, 50-metre penalty.